Literary fiction,mainstream fiction,non-genre fiction,serious fiction,[1]high literature,[2]artistic literature,[2] and sometimes justliterature,[2] are labels that, in the book trade, refer to market novels that do not fit neatly into an established genre (seegenre fiction) or, otherwise, refer to novels that are character-driven rather than plot-driven, examine thehuman condition, use language in an experimental or poetic fashion, or are simply considered serious art.[3][4]: 115, 131 [5]
Literary fiction is often used as a synonym forliterature, in the exclusive sense of writings specifically considered to have considerableartistic merit.[6] Literary fiction is commonly regarded as artistically superior togenre fiction, the latter being a form of commercial fiction written to provide entertainment to amass audience.[7][8][9]
Some categories of literary fiction, such ashistorical fiction,magic realism,autobiographical novels, orencyclopedic novels, are sometimes termed "genres" without being considered genre fiction. Some authors are also seen as writing literary equivalents or precursors to established genres while still maintaining the division between commercial and literary fiction, such as theliterary romance ofJane Austen[8] or thespeculative fiction ofMargaret Atwood. Some critics and genre authors have posited even more significant overlap between literary and commercial fiction, citing major literary figures argued to have employed elements of popular genres, such asscience fiction,crime fiction, andromance, to create works of literature.[10]Slipstream genre is sometimes located between the genre and non-genre fictions.
Literary fiction may involve a concern withsocial commentary,political criticism, or reflection on thehuman condition.[11] This contrasts with genre fiction where plot is the central concern.[12] It may have a slower pace than popular fiction.[13] AsTerrence Rafferty notes, "Literary fiction, by its nature, allows itself to dawdle, to linger on stray beauties even at the risk of losing its way."[14] Other works may be more concerned withstyle and complexity of the writing: Saricks describes literary fiction as "elegantly written, lyrical, and ... layered".[15]
As opposed togenre fiction, literary fiction refers to the realistic fiction of human character, or more broadly, "all serious prose fiction outside the market genres", the genres being for examplescience fiction,fantasy,thrillers orWesterns.[16] Jeff Prucher defined mainstream literature as "realistic literature... that does not belong to a marketing category (especially science fiction, fantasy orhorror)".[4]
James Gunn also noted the difference between commercial and literary mainstreams, with the former meaning authors whose works are popular – high-selling bestsellers – and the latter, works seen as "art". He also noted that there is a contradiction between these, as "high sales figures are generally taken to mean the author hassold out" and left the literary mainstream. He further defined the literary mainstream as "dominated by the academic-literary community—university professors of literature; high-powered critics for prestige publications such as theNew York Times Book Review,The New York Review of Books, andThe New Yorker: and writers who take the first two groups seriously". According to Gunn, the field of literary fiction in the United States is significantly framed by fiction of the early 20th century and classic canon made from works of authors such asVirginia Woolf,James Joyce orHenry James (all of European descent).[5]
Literary fiction includesclassic books: that is works in any discipline that have been accepted as being exemplary or noteworthy. This includes being listed in a list ofgreat books.
In English literary studies, the terms "classic book" and "Western canon" are closely related concepts, but they are not necessarily synonymous. A "canon" refers to a list of books considered to be "essential" and is presented in a variety of ways. It can be published as a collection, such asGreat Books of the Western World,Modern Library, orPenguin Classics, or presented as a list by an academic such asHarold Bloom'[17] or be the official reading list of an institution of higher learning.[18]
Robert M. Hutchins in his 1952 preface to theGreat Books of the Western World declared:
Ben Bova, remarking on the distinction between genre and non-genre works, argued that "the literature of the fantastic was the mainstream of world storytelling from the time writing began until the beginning of theseventeenth century", and that older classics have more in common with modern, fantastical genre works than with the genre of literary, mainstream fiction.[20]
TheClassic Chinese Novels are works of fiction noted for their immense impact on Chinese culture and literature.
Literary fiction can be considered an example of "high culture" and contrasted with "popular culture" and "mass culture".[21][10]
The poet and criticMatthew Arnold defined "culture", inCulture and Anarchy (1869), as "the disinterested endeavour after man's perfection" pursued, obtained, and achieved by effort to "know the best that has been said and thought in the world".[22] Such a literary definition of high culture also includesphilosophy. The philosophy ofaesthetics proposed high culture as a force for moral and political good.
Since 1901 theNobel Prize in Literature has frequently been awarded to the authors of literary fiction. This annual award is presented to a writer from any country who has, in the field ofliterature, produced the most outstanding work in anidealistic direction.[23][24] Though individual works are sometimes cited as being particularly noteworthy, the award is based on an author's body of work as a whole.
TheInternational Booker Prize is a similar British award given for outstanding literary fiction translated into English. This complements the earlierBooker Prize, which is awarded to fiction in the English language. For both judges are selected from amongst leading literary critics, writers, academics and public figures. The Booker judging process and the very concept of a "best book" being chosen by a small number of literary insiders is controversial for many.[25] AuthorAmit Chaudhuri wrote: "The idea that a 'book of the year' can be assessed annually by a bunch of people – judges who have to read almost a book a day – is absurd, as is the idea that this is any way of honouring a writer."[26]
In an interview,John Updike lamented that "the category of 'literary fiction' has sprung up recently to torment people like me who just set out to write books, and if anybody wanted to read them, terrific, the more the merrier ... I'm a genre writer of a sort. I write literary fiction, which is like spy fiction or chick lit."[27] Likewise, onThe Charlie Rose Show, Updike argued that this term, when applied to his work, greatly limited him and his expectations of what might come of his writing, so he does not really like it. He suggested that all his works are literary, simply because "they are written in words."[28]
James Gunn noted that genre fans and critics criticize mainstream literary fiction as mundane, with the term's "deliberate overtones of dullness, worldliness, and uninspired realism". He criticized mainstream literary fiction as becoming increasingly stagnant and marginalized.[5] This view has been echoed by others; for example, British science fiction/fantasy writerAdam Roberts commented, "It's not that SFF [science fiction and fantasy] is a ghetto inside the glorious city of 'Literary Fiction', but the reverse. 'Literary' novels sell abominably badly, by and large; popular culture in the main belongs to SF and Fantasy, eighteen of the top twenty highest grossing movies of all time are SFF, [and] everybody recognises SFF icons andmemes'".[29]
In the context of science fiction,Brian Stableford defined literary fiction as "a tradition that had been and remained stubbornly indifferent to, if not proudly ignorant of, the progress of science".[30] Gunn wrote, "The SF community uses the word mainstream to describe the fiction that is getting the attention they want; the word is a confession that SF is felt to be a sidestream, a tributary.[5]
Critics and readers of mainstream literary fiction have been accused of "snobbery" when it comes to their dislike of genre fiction.[31]